Roller table with pivoted sweep arms



July 31, 1956 R. CLARK' ETAL ROLLER TABLE WITH PIVOTED SWEEP ARMS FiledApril 19, 1955 LE r 3 7 2 0 5 T n H W i @fi g Mm m a F i 2 fl m m MUnited States Patent ROLLER TABLE WITH PIVOTED SWEEP ARMS Robert Clark,Parma, and John Molnar, Berea, Ohio,

assignors to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of NewJersey Application April 19,1955, Serial No. 502,474

6 Claims. Cl. 198-218) This invention relates to an improved'rollertable and cooperating sweep arms for handling articles such as bundlesof wire.

The mechanism of our invention is intended especially for use as acomponent of a commercially available automatic strapping machine, whichwe understand constitutes the subject of one or more pendingapplications filed by others. When used in this machine, our rollertable supports bundles of wire and our sweep arms push them singly intothe actual strapping mechanism. Their operation of course is coordinatedwith that of the rest of the machine in the same manner as the sweeparms which the manufacturer supplies with this machine. Anotherimprovement in the same mechanism forms the subject of a copendingapplication Serial No. 406,965, filed January 29, 1954, by George B.Hall. Nevertheless it is ap- 1 beneath the rollers 12,.

In the usual operation of the machine, a bundle of wire W is depositedon the rollers 12, and at the proper time the sweep arms and 16automatically push the bundle along the table into the strappingmechanism, not shown. Reference can be made to the aforementioned Hallapplication for a disclosure of a typical mechanism for actuating thesweep arms. In the absence of our improvements, the vertical legs 20bear directly against the bundle, and there is nothing to prevent thelower convolutions from snarling with these In accordance with ourinvention, the inside face of each vertical leg 20 carries a bundleengaging element 21. As Figure 3 best shows, each element 21 includes atubular body 22 which is welded to the leg 20 and carries a cap 23 atits upper end. A plunger 24 is slidably mounted in the body 22, and hasan integral foot 25 projecting therefrom at its lower end. The upperportion of the plunger is of reduced diameter and extends through anopening in the cap 23 and carries nuts 26 to limit relative downwardmovement. A compression spring 27 encircles the reduced upper'portion ofthe plunger 24 within the body 22 and urges the plunger downwardly tothe limit permitted by engagement of the nuts 26 with the top of the cap23. The foot 25 extends somewhat below the bundle supporting surfaces ofthe rollers 12. The

countered.

One difliculty in using sweep arms for pushing bundles of wire on aroller table is that the bottom convolutions of a bundle tend to snarland wedge between the rollers and the lower extremities of the sweeparms. Under extreme conditions this action can jam the machine, but inany event it is undesirable since a tight, well-formed bundle is neededfor applying a strap or other tie.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an improvedroller table and cooperating sweep arms which overcome the tendency ofwire convolutions to work their way between the arms and the rollers.

A more specific object is to provide an improved combination of rollertable and sweep arms in which the latter have bundle engaging elementsthat extend below the supporting surfaces of the roller table, and therollers of this table have series of offset circumferential groovesarranged in arcuate patterns to accommodate said elements.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, we haveprovided improved details of structure, a preferred form of which isshown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a roller table and sweep arms constructedin accordance with our invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the mechanism shown in Figure 1;and

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on a larger scale on line IIIIIIof Figure 1.

Figures 1 and 2 show a roller table which comprises a frame 10 and aplurality of idler rollers 12 journaled therein to rotate on horizontalaxes. Horizontally extending brackets 13 and 14 are fixed to oppositesides of the frame 10. Sweep arms 15 and 16 are journaled to therespective brackets 13 and 14 to pivot on vertical axes. Each sweep armincludes a vertical shaft portion 17, a pair of angularly relatedhorizontal segments 18 and 19, and a vertical leg 20, all rigidlyconnected to one another. In the example of a bundle strapping machine,the arms are power driven by mechanism, not shown, but situated body 22carries a set screw 30 which rides in a keyway 31 in the plunger 24 toprevent rotation of the latter. The rollers over which the sweep arms 15and 16 travel have two series of offset circumferential grooves 28 and29 to accommodate the feet as the sweep arms pivot to move a bundle.These respective sets of grooves are arranged in arcuatc patternscentered about the pivotal axes of the two sweep arms.

In operation, the sweep arms 15 and 16 are driven in the usual way topropel the bundle W along the rollers 12. However, the feet 25 extendbelow the bottom convolutions of the bundle and ride in the respectiveseries of grooves 28 and 29. The springs 27 urge the plungers 24 and thefeet downwardly approximately into contact with the bottoms of thesegrooves. Consequently the feet remain below the bundle supportingsurfaces of the rollers and overcome any tendency of the bottomconvolutions to become snarled with the sweep arms.

The mechanism constructed as described is suitable to use in modifyingexisting installations in which the sweep arms are constructed as shown.In such installations the bundle engaging elements 21 can be welded tothe legs 20 without otherwise modifying the sweep arms. In newinstallations the legs 20 can be eliminated altogether, and the bundleengaging elements connected directly to the extremities of the armsegments 19.

While we have shown and described only a single embodiment of ourinvention, it is apparent that other modifications may arise. Therefore,we do not wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth but only by thescope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In combination, a roller table including a frame and a plurality ofparallel article supporting rollers journaled therein, and a sweep armpivoted on an axis at right angles to those of said rollers for pushingarticles along said table and including an article engaging elementadapted to travel over said rollers and extending below the articlesupporting surfaces thereof, said rollers having a series of offsetcircumferential grooves arranged in an arcuate pattern centered aboutthe axis of pivoting of said arm to accommodate the lower portion ofsaid element.

2. In combination, a roller table including a frame and a plurality ofparallel article supporting rollers journaled therein, and a sweep armfor pushing articles along said Patented July 31, 1956 table, 'saidsweep arm including a shaft pivoted on an axis at right angles to thoseof said rollers, segments extending from said shaft and adapted tooverlie said rollers, and an article engaging element at the extremityof said segments extending below the article supporting surfaces of saidrollers, said rollers having a series of offset circumferential groovesarranged in an arcuate pattern centered about the pivotal axis of saidshaft to accommodate the lower portion of said element.

3. In combination, a roller table including a frame and a plurality ofarticles supporting rollers journaled therein on parallel horizontalaxes, and a sweep arm for pushing articles along said table, said sweeparm including a shaft pivoted on a vertical axis alongside said frame,angularly related segments extending from said shaft and adapted tooverlie said rollers, and an article engaging element at the extremityof said segments having a foot which extends below the articlesupporting surfaces of said rollers, said rollers having a series ofoffset circumferential grooves arranged in an arcuate pattern centeredabout the pivotal axis of said shaft to accommodate said foot.

4. In combination, a roller table including a frame and a plurality ofarticle supporting rollers journaled therein on parallel horizontalaxes, and a sweep arm for pushing articles along said table, said sweeparm including a shaft pivoted on a vertical axis alongside said frame,angularly related segments extending from said shaft and adapted tooverlie said rollers, an article engaging element 1 at the extremity ofsaid segments having a foot which extends below the article supportingsurfaces of said rollers and is adapted to project underneath articlessupported thereon, and spring means in said element urging said footdownwardly, said rollers having a series of offset circumferentialgrooves arranged in an arcuate pattern 4 centered about the pivotal axisof said shaft to accommodate said foot.--

5. In combination, a roller table including a frame and a plurality ofparallel article supporting rollers journaled therein, and a pair ofsweep arms mounted on opposite sides of said frame for pushing articlesalong said table, each of said sweep arms including a shaft pivoted onan axis at right angles to those of said rollers, segments extendingfrom said shaft and adapted to overlie said rollers, and an articleengaging element at the extremity of said segments extending below thearticle supporting surfaces of said rollers, said rollers having twoseries of offset circumferential grooves arranged in arcuate patternscentered about the respective pivotal axes of the shafts of the twosweep arms to accommodate the lower portions of said elements.

6. In combination, a roller table including a frame and a plurality ofarticle supporting rollers journaled therein on parallel horizontalaxes, and a pair of sweep arms mounted on opposite sides of said framefor pushing articles along said table, each of said sweep arms includinga shaft pivoted on a vertical axis alongside said frame, angularlyrelated segments extending from said shaft and adapted to overlie saidrollers, an article engaging element at the extremity of said segmentshaving a foot which extends below the article supporting surfaces ofsaid rollers and is adapted to project underneath articles supportedthereon, and spring means in said element urging said foot downwardly,said rollers having two series of offset circumferential groovesarranged in arcuate patterns centered about the respective pivotal axesof the shafts of the two sweep arms to accommodate said feet.

No references cited.

